NASA to reveal Artemis III crew and mission status in Houston briefing

NASA will hold a live press event at 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, 9 June, at its Johnson Space Center in Houston to announce the astronauts assigned to the Artemis III test flight. The agency will also provide an update on the mission's progress during the briefing. The event will be broadcast live via the NASA+ app and the agency’s YouTube channel, with additional viewing options available on various online platforms and social media.

The Artemis III mission is scheduled to launch four astronauts from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. A primary objective of the mission is to test critical rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial human landing systems designed to transport astronauts to the lunar surface.

This mission builds directly on the successful crewed test flight of Artemis II, which concluded in April. According to NASA, Artemis III is intended to pave the way for future lunar missions focused on scientific discovery and economic benefits. The agency describes this phase as part of a broader era of innovation and exploration, aiming to lay the groundwork for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Media accreditation deadlines for the event have been established by the Johnson Space Center press room. Non-US citizens must contact the press room by 5 p.m. on Thursday, 28 May, while US citizens must submit their requests by 5 p.m. on Thursday, 4 June. Registered media outlets will receive confirmation and further details via email.

Following the announcement, the Artemis III crew will be available for a limited number of in-person and virtual interviews. All interview requests must be submitted to the Johnson Space Center press room by 5 p.m. on Thursday, 4 June. The specific names of the astronauts have not yet been released and will be revealed during the live event.